Woman, 81, still critical after royal escort crash

An elderly woman hit by a police motorcycle escorting the Duchess of Edinburgh remains in a critical but stable condition, police have said.

Helen Holland, 81, from Birchanger in Essex, was struck at the junction of West Cromwell Road and Warwick Road in Earl's Court, west London, on 10 May.

The police watchdog is investigating the circumstances of the crash and has appealed for witnesses to come forward.

Ms Holland had been in London visiting her sister, her family has said.

Speaking to the BBC last week, her son and daughter-in-law Martin and Lisa-Marie Holland said they were "shocked and sickened at her extensive injuries".

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said at the time that the duchess was "grateful for the swift response of emergency services and will keep abreast of developments".

Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) regional director Amanda Rowe said: "Our thoughts are with the woman, who has sustained life-threatening injuries, and her family.

"We have been in touch with them to explain our role and will keep them regularly updated as the investigation progresses."

She added that while some witnesses had already been identified, "it's important that as part of our inquiries we speak with anyone who witnessed or recorded any part of this incident to help us establish the full circumstances".

The IOPC also said that CCTV from nearby properties and police body camera footage would be examined and officers who were there would be interviewed.

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